Asakusa's Secret Kabuki Gallery - Shotengai Streets

Asakusa has many small shopping streets with old-fashioned cafes and restaurants. Okuyama Omairimachi Shotengai is one of these streets, but it is special. The shutters of the shops here are painted with famous scenes from Kabuki plays.

This gallery only reveals itself when shops are closed.

Asakusa has several Japanese theatres that show classical dance-drama Kabuki （歌舞伎）, lighter Taishu Engeki plays （大衆演劇）, Rakugo storytelling （落語）, or Manzai stand-up comedy （漫才）.

There is a Taishu Engeki theater in the middle of Okuyama Omairimachi Shotengai. If you are lucky you might see an actor in costume talking to fans or rushing to the back entrance. They look like they just stepped out of a manga or anime.

Red gates with white lanterns mark the beginning and end of Okuyama Omairimachi Shotengai （奥山おまいりまち商店街）. It runs from behind Senso-ji temple's pagoda towards the new Don Quijote shop near the Tsukuba Express Asakusa Station.

Visit early in the morning or in the evening when you are near Senso-ji temple. (More about Senso-ji here http://www.deepjapan.org/a/2318)